Etching an aluminum enclosure for a guitar effect
My wife and I did our first etched stompbox a few weeks ago… pictorial ahead…
Wife shot photos while we etched but we didn’t get all the steps…
After painting the sides before re-sanding the top… hanging dry:
I forgot about taking photos during the ironing steps… sorry
Painting the air bubble cutouts…
Paint dry (we actually put a hair dryer on a metal wine rack
aiming at the enclosure to speed things up LOL):
We forgot to photograph the etching… sorry…
Etch completed… ready to wet sand again and clean up..
Sanding the mask and paint mask etc…
Final coat of paint before wet sanding the top for the last time…
After sanding the top of the enclosure for the last time YAY:
Things we learned or will do different next time:
Spend more time on the initial sanding… keep on going with the 220 grit until the nicks and scratches are worked out. I think the initial sanding is probably the most important step for a beautiful box.
Work the edges more when ironing the pnp blue
Use good paint… after having this thing on the stage about ten times it has a few indented spots in the cheap flat black i used… ($.99).
Questions I have (haven’t searched for the answers yet).
What type of spray can paint would be best for in the etched areas… something that won’t get nicked or indented.
Any tips for the edges of a PNP transfer… they were the only place I had trouble on this etch… same for my first pcb etch (another post soon)… what is it about the edges that makes them resist the PNP blue so well?
Thanks for reading… please share your thoughts and experiences with aluminum enclosure etching.
July 20th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Try revell or humbrol model enamel , in the small tins , for the etched areas… umpteen shades to choose from…only £1.00 a tin means a choice of around five colours for the same cost as one spray can. Use a toothpick or cotton bud to roll the enamel over the lettering . Matt shades look good on plain alum.. Cool thing is you can apply different colours at same time without masking/waining for prev layer to dry..
I don’t use pnp …try kodak glossy ink jet photo paper , but printed in a lazer printer…no prob with edges , and a pack is huge enough to allow plenty of experimentation and wastage..
..rock on.